When the US Troops moved into Iraq and ousted the regime of Saddam Hussein, the Lord burdened my heart to go to Iraq and seek to establish a Baptist church. So I called Bro. Saber Kassab, who is an Iraqi businessman and a partner in the ministry. Saber and I in the past ministered in Detroit and several other Middle Eastern countries.

On June 4, 2003 the Lord opened the door for us to go to Iraq. Saber and I traveled to Amman and from there went by land to Baghdad. One of the people we met in Baghdad was Brother Maher Fuad Daoud who was raised in a Christian home. His father was a man of faith. When Maher heard what we were planning to do, he was thrilled and told me that this was an answer to his prayers.

In June 2003 I, along with Rev. Saber Kassab and Bro. Maher Fuad Daoud knelt down and prayed for a location to house the New Testament Baptist Church. On August 9, 2003, I woke up at 5 AM concerned because my time was running out and we had not yet found a place to rent. I prayed to the Lord and begged Him to give us a place to house His church that day. The Lord woke Bro. Maher up at the same time and laid upon his heart the location of a house whose owner is a Christian. In the days of Saddam Hussein, the house was used for prayer meetings. At 7 AM Bro. Maher (who is now the pastor of the New Testament Baptist Church of Baghdad) came to the hotel and shared the news with me. Immediately we called the owner who agreed to rent the house.

By November 4, 2003 renovations on the house to prepare it for meetings were completed. Services began.

January 9, 2004 marked the date of the official dedication of the church. Dr. Feghaly, Dr. Danny Whetstone, Rev. Sam Stricklin, Bill Daab, Rev. Saber Kassab, Pastor Ghassan Haddad, and Rev. Milad Khaled went to Baghdad to witness the dedication of the church.

More than 300 people attended the dedication. The ministers laid hands on Bro. Maher and separated him for the ministry, to be ordained at a later date. As a result of the preaching of the Word of God on the day of dedication and the three days following, over 130 people gave their lives to the Lord.

Since January 9, 2004 the church has grown:

Four Sunday school classes were added

A Bible Institute was established in two locations in Baghdad

A Ladies Prayer meeting was added to the regular services

A Children's Prayer meeting was added to the regular services

A church choir was developed

A visitation program was implemented

We received the NGO status

We shipped 21,000 Bibles, 160,000 John & Romans, 24,000 tracts, 5,000 New Testaments all of which arrived in Baghdad and were distributed

Pastor Maher has proven himself to be worthy minister. Should the Lord enable us to buy property in Baghdad and build a building of our own, during a special service we will be:

Dedicating the new church building

Ordaining Pastor Maher

Graduating Bible students who completed their studies in our Institute

We are praying that the Lord will enable us to buy a piece of property by December. Perhaps you can help us or you know someone who may be able to help us.